World-Famous Horses at Vienna's Spanish Riding School
one of the horses' difficult poses
A limited number of opportunities remain to see the world-famous Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School in 2007. The school is the oldest and only one of its kind in the world, steeped in more than 400 years of tradition. The horses are a specific breed of white stallion called "Lipizzaner" and are descended from stallions owned by Austria's royal family years ago. From 10 am to noon on most Tuesdays through Saturdays, tickets to see the horses in action are available for a fraction of the cost of a formal performance. For €12, visitors can watch an assortment of Lipizzaner horses of varying abilities and their riders train in the performance ring during the Morning Exercise.
During the workout, each horse and rider works on fine-tuning different strenuous moves and poses for show readiness while classical music plays over the speakers. One move in particular, a diagonal sort of trot - an unnatural looking move for a horse, is a treat to see. The overall experience is a soothing and enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours before lunch. For more information and a complete performance schedule, visit www.spanische-hofreitschule.at.
Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule)
Vienna Imperial Hofburg Palace - Michaelerkuppel entrance
Michaelerplatz 1, 1st district
Tel: +43 1 533 90 31
